looking for mini concertina -English

[karen bell]

Hello All

I am a poor clown that works in hospital and nursing homes and looking for a miniature concertina, English, to play. Can't afford a lot of money(please see poor clown above) but think this would be a great instrument. I currently play a full size English Concertina...

Thanks

[RP3]

Karen, you may be extremely lucky and find a good samaritan who offers you a mini concertina at a cheap price. But I hope you understand that mini concertinas were made in extremely small numbers almost 100 years ago and are considered highly desirable both as playing instruments and collectors items. For this reason, these concertinas normally have prices that can easily exceed $1,000. In fact there's an English mini concertina on eBay right now with a starting price of $2,350. This is probably too high but you get the point. I just thought you should know the problem you face. But good luck just the same.

 

Ross Schlabach

[Greg Jowaisas]

Stagi builds an 18 button instrument which I would term a semi-miniature.

 

Here is a link to a description and price:

 

http://www.hmtrad.com/catalog/winds/sbx/sbx-engl.html

 

The 18 buttons offer greater repertoire opportunity than 12 and the price is less than a 30% of a vintage instrument.

 

A perennial problem with vintage minis is keeping the bellows functional. I've spent many hours patching leaks so that a mini (Geoff Crabb prefers the term midget) would have enough air to be functional. The new Stagi should have no such problem.

 

You might not be able to hide it from your audience in a coat pocket but I bet they'd be delighted if you produced it from a medium sized purse or tiny doctor's bag and proceeded to play a few tunes.

 

Greg

[Pete Dunk]

Andy Norman will make you a new miniature, albeit with accordion reeds. No prices are shown though and I have a feeling it would be quite a lot of money.

[karen bell]

Thanks for your replies! I did not realize the mini concertinas are so old. I have an old Wheatstone (circa 1920) that I found at a junk store for nothing- maybe my luck will hold again! I don't want to use it because I don't want to hurt it by carrying it around...same with an expensive mini.

 

Will look into the stagi- although I am spoiled by the tone of my Wheatstone.

Thanks all

Karen

[cboody]

Thanks for your replies! I did not realize the mini concertinas are so old. I have an old Wheatstone (circa 1920) that I found at a junk store for nothing- maybe my luck will hold again! I don't want to use it because I don't want to hurt it by carrying it around...same with an expensive mini.

 

Will look into the stagi- although I am spoiled by the tone of my Wheatstone.

Thanks all

Karen

Get Greg Jowasias to build you a case for it and carry it to your heart's content...

[ceemonster]

there is a mini-anglo, a wheatstone concer-teeny,, on ebay right now. interesting to watch what it will go for....

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINIATURE-WHEATSTONE-12-KEY-CONCERTINA-EXTREMELY-RARE-/360393705114?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e923869a

[SteveS]

there is a mini-anglo, a wheatstone concer-teeny,, on ebay right now. interesting to watch what it will go for....

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINIATURE-WHEATSTONE-12-KEY-CONCERTINA-EXTREMELY-RARE-/360393705114?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e923869a

Looks to me to be an English system.

[karen bell]

Time to play the lottery!

[Konzertina-123]

I am interested too in buying a miniature English, preferably 12-key but 8 and 14 are right too. If someone have please email me;

[Mike Franch]

I am interested too in buying a miniature English, preferably 12-key but 8 and 14 are right too. If someone have please email me;

 

I don't know if the Stagi miniature would meet your needs (it's 18 buttons, and probably not as small as you're looking for), but I bought one used from a C.net member and I love it. It has good volume and is light. The only two drawbacks I've discovered: (1) I'm constantly discovering how many tunes I like call for an Eb or a G#, which it doesn't have and (2) while it's designed to be played without support, the small button board can be a little cramping, even for someone without big hands. That said, it's easy to walk around and play.

[Konzertina-123]

I know about the Stagi 18-key, but this is not what I am looking for. Ideally the best would be an eight-sided Aeola 12 key, but other vintage makers are right too.

[conzertino]

Hi, I am looking for a tortoiseshell miniature! They exist - I have seen one.

 

And I am aware of the fact, that it will cost a little fortune ;-)

[Greg Jowaisas]

A couple of years ago I held this one in my hand. The last I heard $4000 USD was the asking price.

 

 

I have an idea it may have ended up in the Neil Wayne collection but I'm not sure what the final sale price might have been.

 

Greg

[conzertino]

Yes, that's the one! You can see her at Neil's www.concertinamusem.com!

 

There must be another one?

[spindizzy]

I know about the Stagi 18-key, but this is not what I am looking for. Ideally the best would be an eight-sided Aeola 12 key, but other vintage makers are right too.

 

Warning .... in a confined space (our session meets in a small barrel vaulted ex-cellar at the back of the pub) these can make your ears bleed!

[Greg Jowaisas]

Randy Merris' long awaited miniature concertina article will appear in PICA in the near future. Randy relates the circumstances of how that particular tortoise shell "midget" (in deference to Geoff Crabb) was obtained by Dave who owned the concertina when I took the pictures. Great little story!

 

How about an 18 key tortoise shell miniature with gold fittings?

 

http://www.horniman.info/DKNSARC/SD02/PAGES/D2P0680S.HTM

 

#31431

 

Best of luck in your hunt.

 

Greg

Edited March 20, 2012 by Greg Jowaisas

[SteveS]

Yes, that's the one! You can see her at Neil's www.concertinamusem.com!

 

There must be another one?

Shame it ended up in a museum where it probably won't be played.